Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I Have to be Honest- This Kind of Stuff Freaks Me Out

I don't really know how to discribe myself. I hate taking medicine. I run inside, kids in tow, and close all of the windows when I see a farmers spraying his fields in the summer time. Hubby and I have agreed to try to make an organic garden. I have 2 apple trees but have lived with "not so pretty apples" the last 2 years because I don't want to spray them....

I got involved with a very good company a few years ago that sells vitamins and suppliments (Mannatech). I always have shuttered to see all of the crazies trying to come out and sell their vitamins and miracle waters, but this company is a good Christian company. I took their vitamins for about 2 years, and felt great. Until I couldn't afford the luxuries of Vitamins anymore.

But while I was actively involved in the company, I went through alot of meetings and was a part of learning a lot about our bodies and the foods we eat, and what things foreign to our bodies actually DO to our bodies. scary...

Anyways, I came across an article today that was one of those things that freak me out. Not to the point of becoming self-sufficient or anything (I wish!), but to the point where I think I need to listen... Maybe you will want to also.

Here is the article.

It talks about which foods you should buy organic. Organic, I know expensive. But, listen to these figures:

These are the top 12 Fruits & Veggies that you should buy organic...
1. Nectarines- 97.3% sampled contained pesticides
2. Celery- 94.5% sampled contained pesticides
3. Pears- 94.4% sampled contained pesticides
4. Peaches- 93.7% sampled contained pesticides
5. Apples- 91% sampled contained pesticides
6. Cherries- 91% sampled contained pesticides
7. Strawberries- 90% sampled contained pesticides
8. Imported Grapes- 86% sampled contained pesticides
9. Spinach- 83.4% sampled contained pesticides
10. Potatoes- 79.3% sampled contained pesticides
11. Bell Peppers- 68% sampled contained pesticides
12. Red Raspberries- 59% sampled contained pesticides

Yeah, high percentages contain pesticides. Just in case you didn't know, things like pesticides in our body weaken our immune systems. Not sick??? Well, you may get sick. If your immune system weakens, your body may not fight something that our body fights everyday. What does our body fight off everyday? Cancer. Anything foreign to our bodies is will weaken it, and make a cancer cell. If our body is healthy, it can fight this off. But if you are putting more foreign things into our bodies, then our immune systems have a tough time trying to keep up with killing off all of the foreign matter. After a while, the cancer cells keep building up, and guess what? You can get cancer.

I know happy news, right. Well, we can still change what we do, so we have a better chance. I have an aunt that has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (I think that is all of the diagnosis), and she has went through radiation. Now she is choosing to eat better. She said she will always have the cancer, but she has to manage it, with her diet keep it for getting any worse, any faster.

Better news?

Here is a list of fruits and veggies that have the LEAST amount of pesticides:
- Asparagus
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Corn (although most is genetically altered)
- Kiwi
- Mangoes
- Onions
- Papaya
- Pineapples
- Sweet Peas

So, there it is. Now that I may have absolutely freaked some of you out also! Well, eating better isn't a bad thing!

Time to go plan my garden for this coming summer... It keeps growing in size.

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